Safety wall plug



May 8, 1951 SAFETY WALL PLUG May 28, 1947 1&3 1

VENTOR. E znh card Zxfue tten ATTORNEYS- lllllll l l \Mmwm May 8, 1951 R. L. JUETTEN SAFETY WALL PLUG Filed May 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Ez'chard L'Juetten A'I'I'D R N EYS Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY WALL PLUG Richard L. Juetten, Escanaba, Mich.

Application May 28, 1947, Serial No. 751,006

My present invention relates generally to electrical connectors of the attachable type, and more specifically to an improved safety wall plug or electrical connector for use with outlet boxes or wall receptacles in building structures.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a readily attached and fixed or stationary connector by means of which multiple cords or lead Wires of electrical appliances may be plugged in or connected with safety and in a durable manner to the usual outlet box or wall receptacle, and means are provided whereby the connector may with facility be mounted in position substantially flush with a building wall, thereby eliminating the objectionable projection features of the usual and well known electrical plug.

Means are provided whereby the multiple cords or Wires from an appliance enter the connector from a side or from an end of the device to insure a compact arrangement of the wires without bends or entanglement, and to remove the wires from the front face of the connector.

Means are also provided whereby the same connector may with convenience be adjusted and attached to a wall receptacle having either. a single outlet or a double outlet; to completely cover the outlet, and the adjusted terminal connections are made with accuracy and a close fit to insure effective frictional and electrical con- I 1 Claim. (01. 173-361) after be described and more specifically set forth mechanical structures, within the scope of my claim without departing from the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a face view in elevation of the improved connector or plug, showing the multiple lead Wires or cords entering one end of the connector unit; and

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the connector in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view looking at the open end of the base or body of the connector, with operating parts omitted.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the slidably adjustable holder for the connector prongs or flat pins.

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the operating parts mounted in the recessed interior of the base or body of the connector. v

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view disclosing in detail the arrangement of the slidably adjustable prong-holder in the insulated base or body of the connector.

Figure Z is an end view or edge view of the fixture showing the terminal clamp bar for the lead Wires or cords; and

Figure 8 is an edge view of the fixture, on a reduced scale.

In carrying out my invention I employ a rectangular base or body I preferably fashioned of molded plastic and nonconducting material, of flattened shape, and made in colors to conform to the color of the interior trim of a house or other building structure. At its inner side or face the base or body is fashioned with a T- shaped depression or recess having a pair of longitudinally extending flanges 2, 2, projecting from the opposite walls of the long portion of the recess. In the lateral portion of the recess, which is open, a central integral boss 3 is provided to which is attached a clamp bar 4, of non-conducting material, and an attaching screw 5 is passed through a hole in the base and boss and threaded into the clamp bar for rigidly mounting the bar in place. The clamp bar closes the open end of the recess and its inner face is serrated to engage and hold the ends of the wires L, three pairs of which wires are illustrated as extending to usual electrical appliances.

Within the longitudinal portion of the T-shaped recess is mounted a slidably adjustable holder that includes a fiat rectangular plate 6 of molded plastic and non-conducting material of proper size and shape for slipping into position under the flanges 2, 2. As best seen in Figure 4 the plastic holder or plate is equipped with a pair of spaced parallel blades 1, 1, of brass or other suitable con ducting material, which are preferably molded in the holder plate, and each of these conducting blades is provided with an outstanding, integral conductor, prong, or flat pin 8, 8, for insertion in complementary sockets of a conventional outlet box or wall receptacle, which receptacle is mounted as usual in a wall W as indicated in Figure 2.

By means of a screw 9 passing through the hole la in the base I and either of the relatively spaced holes 6a or 61) in the plate or holder 6 respectively, and threaded in a complementary boss H) of the outlet box the connector is attached to a conventional outlet box, or receptacle.

The spaced pair of conductors or blades 1, l, which are slidably adjustable with the holderplate 6, co-act with a pair of complementary conductors or brass tongues l3 and I4, each of which is ofiset or bent at l5, and fashioned with a lateral head, [6. These tongues, of elastic or resilient conducting material, are held in close frictional and electrical contact with the blades 1 of the holder, and together with blades 7 they provide a long contact surface that permits desired adjustment.

The lateral heads E8 of the tongues are located beneath the clamp bar 4, and the multiple pairs of wires or leads 1 are rigidly clamped between the clamp bar and these heads by the clamp screw 5.

It is to be understood that the slidable plate 6 permits use of a single device with either a single or double outlet plug, and the proper centering of the device with either type. For example, with as shown in full line position in Figure 5, the device is adapted for application to a double plug, the prongs 8 engaging one outlet, it being understood that as many connections as desired may be supplied with current from the single outlet, by virtue of the clamping bar 4, the slidable plate permitting accurate centering of the device.

Conversely with the plate moved to center the prongs 8, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5, the same device may be readily applied to, and centered on, a single outlet plug. It is to be noted that excellent contact is provided in either case by virtue of the coacting elongated contacts stops 1 and [3.

The connector may be attached to the receptacle in the upright position of Figures 1 and 3; or in some instances the connector may be attached with its longer axis in horizontal position. In either position the connector is flat against the wall, and the wires or cords enter the recessed connector through one end in close ar- 4 rangement against the face of the wall where they are out of the way and not likely to be tangled.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In an electrical connector adapted to be connected to an outlet box, the combination of a base having a recess, longitudinally extending flanges projecting from opposite walls of said recess, a boss on said base and in said recess, an electrically men-conducting holder plate slidably mounted in said recess, the edges of said holder plate underlying said flanges, respectively, a pair of spaced blades of electrically-conducting material secured to said holder plate, a metallic prong extending from each blade and adapted to be inserted into an outlet box, a pair of lateral metallic plates fixed to said base on opposite sides of said boss, resilient electrically-conducting tongues extending from said lateral metallic plates and slidably engaging said blades, respectively, an electrically non-conducting clamp bar attached to said boss and overlying said lateral metallic plates, said clamp bar and lateral metallic plates being adapted to receive and clamp therebetween pairs of electrical wiring, a pair of relatively spaced holes in said holder plate, and means on said base selectively passing through said holes to adjustab'ly retain said holder plate in said base and to fasten the base to the outlet box.

RICHARD JUETTEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNlTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 454,584 Viles et a1. June 23, 1891 2,027,442 Percy Jan. 14, 1936 2,112,752 Abbott Mar. 29, 1938 2,226,733 McLarn Dec. 31, 1940 2,261,615 Cornwell Nov. 4, 1941 2,414,575 Windsor Jan. 21, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 32,794 Norway Nov. 15, 1919 

